Fashion Product and Promotion BA (Hons)

The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is £26 billion; up from £21 billion in 2009 (source: Oxford Economics 2014) so working in fashion is very much a real job - and this course will help you to succeed.

Course overview

The BA (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion course is situated in the heart of the City at the Design Centre in which there has been a huge amount of investment. We offer excellent facilities and resources for each strand of the course, such as well-equipped workshops featuring fabric printers, laser cutters, top of the range design suites and industrial sewing machines.

This course is broken down into the following subject areas and covers each area indepth:

All students studying on-campus undergraduate Fashion Product and Promotion courses can take up a CV-enhancing work placement, a University-led industry initiative, or a professional and business development boot camp. *By the term placement, we mean we are offering you a taste of the industry which might last anything from two days to four weeks on a part-time basis.

During the first year, the focus is on developing foundational knowledge and skills. You will be given clear guidance on the fashion design and promotion process working alongside industry professionals. You will create promotional literature and develop your skills in computer graphics and photography.

In the second year you will build on the experience you have gained. ‘Live’ projects set by visiting professionals from fashion related companies give you the chance to work to an industry standard. Focus is on design and manufacture, styling, photography, illustration, branding and magazine design. You will decide at the end of your second year whether you want to specialise in fashion design/garment construction or fashion promotion and marketing and this will be reflected in your Final Major Project in your final year when you will produce an in-depth portfolio and exhibit your work at Graduate Fashion Week in London, of which the University is a corporate member.

All modules are underpinned by historical and theoretical lectures. You will have access to top of the range computer suites offering software which is current industry standard including the AdobeCreative Suite software packages; InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.

There are already more than 800,000 people working in fashion in the UK. At the end of the course, you will be fully equipped to join them, with possible roles in areas such as fashion design, brand development, fashion publishing, production, PR and fashion retail.

Past graduates have gone on to work for the following design companies: Abercrombie and Fitch, Jonathan Saunders, TopMan, All Saints and Matalan.

"I loved how broad the course was."

Fashion Product and Promotion graduate Sophia Ramsey is now working for Abercrombie & Fitch in the USA.

Fashion, Product and Promotion graduate Sophia Ramsey talks about how her degree course has helped her secure a job in the USA at Abercrombie & Fitch / Hollister:

"I have a degree in every area of the industry and I can be whoever I choose to be."

Adam King, BA (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion graduate, currently working as an intern for fashion designer Jonathan Saunders.

"The course is what it says on the tin... fashion product and promotion! It's great to learn about every aspect of the industry through the varied range of modules on the course. Being a designer primarily, it has been so beneficial to take charge of all corners, learning how to promote the products I design and make through fashion photography and film, as well as promote myself as a brand. I feel like I have more than just a degree in fashion design like I initially set out to earn... I have a degree in every area of the industry and I can be whoever I choose to be."

The content of the course combines degree-level expertise in fashion with a firm grounding in transferable skills that are useful in many different careers.

Course content

Modules on this course include:

Year 1 (national level 4)

Introduction to Fashion Product (40 Credits)

Introduction to Fashion Promotion and Design Practice (60 Credits)

Design Theory 1 (20 Credits)

Year 2 (national level 5)

Advanced Fashion Product (40 Credits)

Advanced Fashion Promotion (40 Credits)

Advanced Fashion Portfolio (20 Credits)

Design Theory 2 (20 Credits)

Final Year (national level 6)

Professional Portfolio (40 Credits)

Design Dissertation (20 Credits)

Final Major Project (60 Credits)

Part-time study

If you study this course on a part-time basis you will typically complete 40-80 credits in a year, rather than the 120 credits of full-time students. All modules are taught during the day time and you will be studying alongside full-time students.

BA (Hons) Fashion, Product and Promotion students organised the Fluxx Fashion Event as part of their degree course. The event included a fashion film premiere, a catwalk show, a dance performance and a DJ. The fundraising event, which is part of an event planning module, helps the students raise money for their trip to Graduate Fashion Week in London.

BA (Hons) Fashion, Product and Promotion students organised the Fluxx Fashion Event, which includes a fashion film premiere, a catwalk show, a dance performance and a DJ and is a part of their degree course:

All UK Universities and colleges display Key Information Sets (KIS) on their undergraduate courses. The KIS gives you a quick overview of some standard information about a course, and has a link to more detailed information on Unistats.

Facilities & location

Our Design Centre provides well-equipped facilities so it's easy to make a seamless transition from your studies to the workplace.

Facilities & location

The University provides generous studio spaces and well-equipped workshops. You will be based in the Design Centre where you will be able to develop your creativity within your own work space.

Facilities include:

State of the art workshops

Project spaces

Digital suites with open-access Apple Macs

Industrial sewing and embroidery facilities

Student gallery

Journals and research

We subscribe to a comprehensive range of print and electronic journals so you can access the most reliable and up-to-date articles. Some of the most important sources for your course include:

Art Full Text + Art Abstracts, which is a major resource for media and arts information

Design and Applied Arts Index, which covers journals featuring both new designers and the development of design and the applied arts since the mid-19th century

Lexis, which provides access to legal information as well as full-text newspaper articles

EBSCO Business Sources Elite, which offers access to over 3,000 full-text journals and summaries

Creative environment

The Design Centre attracts international exhibitions and conferences with acclaimed guest speakers from every sphere of the design activity. Sunderland also attracts students from all over the world. So you'll be learning within a highly creative and stimulating environment.

If you are studying a HND or Foundation Degree you may be able to enter onto the final year of our degree courses. For more information, please contact admenquiry@sunderland.ac.uk.

Other acceptable qualifications

BTEC National: 112 points from a BTEC Certificate or Diploma.

Access Courses: We would require successful completion of an Access to Higher Education course that is accredited by the Quality Assurance Agency. We would also require a minimum of grade C in GCSE in Mathematics and English Language or the equivalent as part of your course.

Scottish Highers: Our typical offer is for 112 points.

Irish Leaving Certificate: Our typical offer is for 112 points.

International qualifications: Please call the Student Helpline for advice on other acceptable qualifications. The number from outside the UK is +44 191 515 3000.

Any other qualifications: If you have any other qualifications not listed here, you may still be eligible. Please contact the Student Helpline for advice: 0191 515 3000.

Returners to Learning: If you are a mature student, you may benefit from our dedicated Returners to Learning Progression Scheme. For further information email progression.schemes@sunderland.ac.uk or call the Student Helpline: 0191 515 3000.

If you wish to be considered for direct entry to a different year of a course, please contact the Student Helpline: 0191 515 3000.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)

If you feel you already know some of the topics covered in this course, either due to previous learning or from experience of work, then you may not need to study all of the course.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is the name given to the process of gaining credit towards a qualification because of something you have learnt in the past. If you are eligible for APL you won't have to learn the same topic again, and so you can be exempt from a module, set of modules or year of a course.

We ask applicants to prepare a portfolio of work, which should be simply mounted and accompanied by preparatory work. Sketchbooks are an important feature of your preparatory work and should be included. Where possible, 3D and large 2D work should be photographed. Digital and screen-based work should be saved on a CD or memory stick.

If you are an international applicant, please supply your portfolio on a CD. Suitable items for a portfolio include:

Drawing: examples of observed drawing and exploratory drawing

Projects: evidence of project work together with your sketchbooks and development work that is relevant to the subject

Self-initiated work: that you have done out of personal interest

Research: examples of various forms of investigation undertaken for projects

Writing: examples of reports, essays or journals

Fees & finance

Full-time fees

The annual fee is:

£9,250 if you are from the UK / EU

£10,750 if you are from outside the UK / EU

If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, please see the International section of this website.

Scholarships and bursaries may be available to you – please see the Fees and Finance section of this website for more information.

Part-time fees

Tuition fees for part-time students are £4,880 per 120 Credits.

Please note that part-time courses are not available to international students who require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.

If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, please see the International section of this website.

Scholarships and bursaries may be available to you – please see the Fees and Finance section of this website for more information.

Employment & careers

Sunderland has a good reputation with employers and, across all courses, 92.5% of our graduates are in employment or further study within six months of graduating in 2013/14 (source: Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education).

Employment & careers

The main destinations for graduates are expected to be fashion-related creative industries. These include design, brand development, fashion publishing, production, design consultancies, PR and fashion retail. Some graduates may become freelance consultants or self-employed designers, or go on to further study or teacher training.

To help develop your edge compared to other graduates, we organise Employability Days where employers and past graduates are invited to look at the portfolios of current students and give constructive advice. We also encourage you to develop a Professional Engagement Document that highlights all your self-development activities and engagement with industry.

To enhance your visibility to employers, we encourage you to participate in competitions and exhibitions. Final year students exhibit at Graduate Fashion Week, New Designers and the Design and Art Direction exhibition in London.

The Enterprise Place

If you have a good idea for a new business and have the dedication and motivation to make it happen, then we want to hear from you. The Enterprise Place, based on-campus at St Peter's Gate Business Centre, is the perfect environment for entrepreneurial students and graduates to turn their business ideas into reality. You will have access to free hot desk space, IT facilities, specialist advice and support and business mentors and networking opportunities.

To find out more about how we can help you start a business, please contact the University's Enterprise Team:

It is usually possible to take a module from the free University Language Scheme. This can be studied on top of your 120 credits or in some cases, can earn credits towards your degree.

Language skills increase your international mobility and you can choose between French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese and Arabic at a range of levels. If your first language is not English, please check with your tutor about entry requirements.

Staff and students talk about the benefits of the University Language Scheme:

Experience

The University of Sunderland is committed to ensuring that every student has an impressive range of opportunities to enhance their CV and gain valuable experience:

A course at Sunderland is a life-changing investment in the future. To help you make the most of your investment we commit to providing you with outstanding support.

Support

Support for your learning

You can expect stimulating contact time with our experienced academic team, which includes staff with extensive real-world experience. There is also a significant amount of time where you will be researching on your own and developing independent ideas. If you have queries or difficulties, you can book an appointment with your tutor to gain more in-depth support and guidance.

From the start of the course you will be allocated a Personal Tutor. You’ll meet your Tutor at agreed times throughout each year of the course. Personal Tutors encourage your personal development and are a useful point of contact for any queries about your course, extracurricular activities and issues where they can point you towards specialist services at the University. These include student counselling, financial advice and chaplaincy support.

Further support for Arts and Design students is provided by our technicians. They offer practical back-up as you develop your skills and techniques.

Support for your development

To help ensure the course is meeting aspirations for personal development, we invite students to fill in questionnaires at the end of modules. This provides a structured way for you to keep us up-to-date with your views.

During your course, and particularly towards the end of it, we encourage you to make full use of the resources at our Careers and Employability Service. The Service helps you explore your options, clarify your ideas, develop a career focus and make effective applications.

Extracurricular activities

The University supports student-led initiatives that enhance the extracurricular activities available to you. Some of these are related to particular subjects while others allow you to pursue interests and social activities. It’s all part of the vibrant and life-changing atmosphere at the University of Sunderland.

For more information about all the support services you will have access to as a Sunderland student, please see Student support and guidance.

Case studies

See case studies of students, graduates and academic staff to find out what the course is really like.

“The photography projects were a lot of fun - finding models, arranging hair and make-up then learning how to use a professional camera."

Kate Cluness - Graduate

Intern, All Saints

“I loved my time at the University of Sunderland and I wish I could do it all again!” Said BA (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion graduate, Kate Cluness.

“Overall there are so many elements of the course I loved that it's hard to narrow it down to just one. Having the opportunity to study both product and promotion based projects was amazing and something not all universities offer. It’s a brilliant course that really gives you the opportunity to identify where in the fashion industry you belong.

“The photography projects were a lot of fun - finding models, arranging hair and make-up then learning how to use a professional camera in the studio and retouching the pictures afterwards. For my final year project I created an events management company and planned a creative concept event. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Live Fashion Event we produced showcasing our garments on the catwalk to raise money for our trip to Graduate Fashion Week in London.

“The Design Centre is a lovely spacious building and the facilities are constantly developing. They have new Apple Macs with all the latest software along with the best cameras, lighting and back-drops in the photography studio.

“Sunderland is a great city with a great student night life, bars, restaurants and shopping centre. It has a great metro and bus service to make transport to and from university easy.

“The staff on the course are incredible, they really push you to achieve your very best and encourage you throughout all your projects. It's amazing working with people who are so interested in what they do and really want to help you grow and develop as much as possible.

“Since graduating I’ve had the most amazing experience of my life working as an intern for fashion brand All Saints at their head office in London. It has really made me realise that this is the industry where I belong.”

Fashion graduate, Chloe Rodgers, landed a fantastic job at Topman Head Office in London shortly after graduating from the BA (Hons) Fashion Product and Promotion course.

“After seeing the prospectus for the course at Sunderland I was completely sold” said Chloe.

“I really enjoyed how versatile the course was and how you are able to discover your strengths and talents. Going into the third year I discovered I had a strong passion for fashion photography and the digital side of fashion.

“I'm a local girl so I loved studying in Sunderland. I now live in London so I miss some of the perks of living at home like the nightlife, quaint little restaurants and even having the odd picnic in Mowbray Park.

“The staff where incredibly supportive; always helping you to develop your ideas, skills and find your fashion niche. The great thing about the course was all the tutors had specialist skills and have worked in the industry so you were able to delve deeper into the area of fashion that interested you the most.

“Just before I graduated I started working for at local Topman store as a Visual Merchandiser. I then applied and got a job at the Topman Head Office in London as a Graphic and Communication Brand Assistant. So my life has completely changed. I live in London, doing an incredible job with amazing people, I couldn't be happier. I’d like to thank the University of Sunderland for helping me get there."

Sophia Ramsey was spotted by a recruitment agent from Abercrombie & Fitch at Graduate Fashion Week in London in June 2012.

"I chose Fashion Product and Promotion as it looked interesting and I wanted to find out what my strengths were," explained Sophia.

"Although I love fashion, I'd never really considered a career in this area, it was only when I started that the course guided me down this route and I became much more interested and confident in mixing my talent for drawing and illustration with a love of design.

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have been offered such a massive opportunity with a company like Abercrombie & Fitch. I just can't wait to get started.

"I'll be designing for the company's womenswear collection, yet it was my designs for men's clothing in my final year project which initially caught the attention of the recruitment agent in London.

"My advice to any student starting their course would be to work as hard as you can and you will get where you want to be in the future. Never put off work!

"I sacrificed a lot of my social life for three years, but to land a job like this was worth every night in and my family are so proud!"

Student work

See examples of the kinds of work you'll be doing as part of your course.